GB2137526A

GB2137526A - Vial sleeve

Info

Publication number: GB2137526A
Application number: GB08308378A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Alexander Baxter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-03-26
Filing date: 1983-03-26
Publication date: 1984-10-10
Also published as: US5116578A; GB8308378D0; GB2137526B; HK106688A

Abstract

Automatic sampling facilities (autosamplers) for chromographs and spectrophotometers employ a carousel arrangement for supporting a plurality of different vials each of predetermined size to bring each vial into a sampling position. Where sample quantities are small, narrower vials are used to enable efficient extraction of the samples from the vial. Such narrower vials cannot be supported by the autosampler without considerable adaptation thereto. Instead vial locating and supporting sleeves are used to enable such narrower vials to be accepted by the autosampler.

Description

1 GB 2 137 526 A 1

SPECIFICATION

Vial sleeve The present invention relates to locating and supporting sleeves for vials, and in particular to sleeves of a certain shape and size for locating and supporting vials in analytical instruments.

In the analytical sciences it has become increas- ingly commonplace to use instruments with automa tic sampling facilities (autosamplers), e.g. with chromatographs or spectrophotometers. Such facilities usually take the form of a carousel armagement in which vials containing samples for examination are located around the periphery of the carousel. Thus samples may be separately presented for analysis on rotation of the carousel.

A known disadvantage of such autosamplers is that it is not normally possible for a needle, probe or other extraction device to remove all of the sample from any given via] in the sampler. In some instances, due to the size of the gap between the bottom of the vial and the extraction device, the amount of available sample is simply too small for withdrawal.

In cases where an adequate volume of sample is available the existence of a gap between the bottom of the vial and the extraction device presents no problem, but many laboratories, especially those in hospitals, frequently have to accept inadequate sample volumes for examination, and difficulties may then arise.

Thus, there is a clear need to provide a low volume vial which is sufficiently narrow to cause displacement of the sample contents when an extraction device enters the vial, enabling small quantities to be extracted from small sample volumes. Preferably, the vial also has an external convex- shaped bottom.

Unfortunately, vials meeting these requirements have been found to be too narrow to fit into typical autosampler devices.

Thus, the present invention provides a precision locating and supporting sleeve for a vial which enables the user to fit the vial accurately into a variety of different autosamplers.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a cylindrical, vial locating and supporting sleeve with a coaxial cylindrical bore in which the ratio of the height of the sleeve to its outside diameter is in the range of 1. 5 to 4.5 and the ratio of the outside diameter of the sleeve to the inside diameter is in the 115 range of 1.5 to 2.75.

The present invention also provides a combination of the sleeve defined in the previous paragraph and a vial when located and supported by the sleeve.

Preferably, the material of the vial sleeve is poly-tetra-fluoro-ethylene (PTFE), though other suitable materials such as other plastics, glass, wood, metal, may also be used.

The bore of the vial sleeve is desirably open at both ends, though it may be closed at one end in some instances.

Advantageously, the vials have a cylindrical collar of slightly greater diameter than their cylindrical body primarily to provide means for receiving a crimped-on cap to seal the vial. However, in the present invention the collar also acts to prevent the vial from "completely" entering the locating sleeve, which may make it difficult subsequently to remove the vial. In some cases the bore of the sleeve may be partially widened at its entrance to accommodate the collar portion.

Typically, a support sleeve has a height of between 25 and 40 mm, an outside diameter of between 9 and 15 mm and an inside diameter of 5.8 mm. A typical preferred vial of borosilicate glass with a convex end portion has a length of 32 mm, an outside diameter of 5.6 mm and a collar of 7 mm diameter, thus providing a firm and positive fit within a locating a supporting sleeve. A vial of these dimensions would have a liquid capacity of approximately 0.3 mi.

Amongst commercially available autosamplers in which a vial sleeve according to the present invention may readily be used are those manufactured by Beckman Instruments Inc of Fullerton, California, USA; Dani SpA of Monza, Italy; Kontron AG of Zurich, Switzerland; Magnus Scientific Limited of Milton Keynes, Bucks, England; Perkin-Elmer Corporation of Norwalk, Conneticut, USA; Precision Sampling Company of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Pye Unican Limited of Cambridge, England; Spectra-Physics Inc of San Jose, California, USA and Varian Associates Inc of Palo Alto, California, USA.

Claims

1. A precision locating and supporting sleeve for a vial which enables the user to fit the vial accurately into a variety of different autosamplers.

2. A cylindrical, vial locating and supporting sleeve with a coaxial cylindrical bore in which the ratio of the height of the sleeve to its outside diameter is in the range of 1.5 to 4.5 and the ratio of the outside diameter of the sleeve to the inside diameter is in the range 1.5 to 2.75.

3. A sleeve according to Claim 1 orto Claim 2 wherein the bore of the sleeve is open at both ends.

4. Asleeve according to Claim 1 orto Claim 2 wherein the bore of the sleeve is closed at one end.

5. A combination of a sleeve according to Claim 1 or to Claim 2 and a vial located and supported by the sleeve.

6. A combination according to Claim 5 wherein the vial has a cylindrical collar of slightly greater diameter than its cylindrical body which provides means for receiving a crimped-on cap to seal the vial.

7. A combination according to Claim 6 wherein the bore of the sleeve is partially widened at its entrance to accommodate the collar of the vial.

8. An autosampler for accepting vials of predetermined size in combination with a kit comprising a plurality of vials of smaller sizes and a plurality of vial supporting sleeves for locating and supporting the different smaller sized vials, each sleeve having an external diameter substantially equal to that of said vials of predetermined size and an internal diameter sized to accommodate a corresponding one of said smaller sized vials.

9. A precision locating and supporting sleeve for 2 GB 2 137 526 A 2 a vial substantially as hereinbefore specifically described.

10. A combination of a precision vial locating and supporting sleeve and a vial supported by the sleeve substantially as hereinbefore specifically described.

Printed in the UK for HMSO, D8818935,8184,7102. Published by The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A lAY, from which copies may be obtained.

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